Linda Young, a counseling psychologist and senior research fellow with the council, said a combination of factors may be interacting, including the fact that teens are accustomed to sexually explicit images and are too trusting.
She said teens have a naive sense of trust in levels of respect and privacy teen boys will show when presented with their sexts.
“Peers at this age are a major source of influence on behavior, especially in groups,” Young said. “They will do something together they would not have done alone, especially in an attempt to be liked.”
She said social norms, laissez-faire parenting and impulsivity also play a role.
“A few widely distributed stories such as nude Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball distort perceptions of prevalence,” Young said. “And the instant accessibility of social media makes it easier to hit “send” without thinking — and the prefrontal cortex of the teen brain, which handles impulse control, isn’t mature until the mid- twenties.”
Article Appeared @http://www.myajc.com/news/news/sexting-furor-might-be-overblown/ncP7f/